Soil food web stability in response to grazing in a semi-arid prairie: The importance of soil textural heterogeneity

摘要: Abstract Grazing of grasslands by large herbivores is a form land use intensification that affects not only plant communities but also soil biota and the ecosystem services it provides. While grassland responses to grazing have been extensively studied, few studies focused on effects aboveground belowground diversity functions. In this work, we quantified structure, function dynamic stability food webs. We sampled long-term manipulation in semi-arid shortgrass steppe (USA Great Plains) at sites showing contrasting textures. Treatments included native plots moderately grazed since 1939 paired with totally protected from 1996. our for C N, biota, separated microbes micro- mesofauna trophic functional groups defined relationships. used models estimate carbon nitrogen mineralization, energy flow throughout web, interaction strengths between steady-state and, eventually, asymptotic (near-equilibrium or local) (Moore de Ruiter, 2012). Soil web response depended texture organic matter content. webs, most flowed through fungal bacterial detritus-based channels ( sensu Moore Hunt, 1988). There was clear asymmetry amount flowing each two higher asymmetry, stability. Stability affected both properties (increased under high clay soils content decreased less loam sandy soils), positively associated Overall, found responsive ways altered structural, functional, attributes are sensitive parameters evaluating changing scenarios.